Logs, Hogs, and Dogs

By John Stallings

Judge not that ye be not judged.—Matt. 7:1

Did you know that according to surveys, Matthew 7:1 is replacing John 3:16 as the most memorized, well-known & quoted verse in the Bible?

There are some other contenders you’ll often hear quoted, like-- Take a little wine for the stomach's sake-(people use this one who have no earthly clue what it means) The truth shall set you free, &-the hand-writing's on the wall. All of these are popular verses. Judge not that ye be not judged is often quoted ignorantly, taken out of context, added where it doesn’t belong & the passage is seldom quoted in its entirety. The result is that many Christians are troubled by this verse.

· Is judging permissible at all?

· How far should we go?

· How can we know?

Let’s clear up some of these questions because they can be understandably baffling.

In the Matthew 7:1-6, Jesus uses strong words for people who criticize others because they have “Logs” or beams in their own eyes when seeking to pull the small mote or spec out of their neighbor's eye. Then He tells us that we have the responsibility to appraise & evaluate people & teachings because some of them are “dogs & hogs.” So how do we explain the seeming contradiction when we are told on the one hand to “Judge not” & then we are told to “Judge?” One thing we can be sure of is that God’s word never contradicts itself so we can always take comfort in that.

Is it right or wrong to pass judgment on the actions of others? The answer is simple; it depends. Sometimes it’s right & sometimes it’s not. In Matthew 7:1-6 Jesus has some very important things to say about judging others. Whether we admit it or not, from time to time we all engage in judging. You name it, we judge it. Jesus speaks very clearly on this vital matter. The Greek word for judge is “Krino,” meaning;-----to separate, select, choose, to determine, to pronounce judgment; to express strong disapproval or harsh criticism- to act the part of a judge; or to pass judgment on the words or deeds of others. Jesus says—Judge not. But Jesus didn’t forbid any & all discerning, discriminating judgments on our part.

“TO JUDGE OR NOT JUDGE; --THAT IS THE QUESTION.”

Common sense tells us that if no one ever judged anyone, teachers could not give their students grades, & no citizen could ever sit on a jury. Furthermore, if we never judged, we’d never forgive, because we only forgive someone who we formally blamed for doing wrong, & the blaming followed a Judgment on our part. So judgment & forgiveness go hand in hand.

Here’s what we find when we look at the subject more closely. There are times when we’re called on to judge or evaluate others. In the truest sense, we don’t judge the person but rather their behavior. Only God can & will judge the person.

 In 1 Cor. 5:3-5 Paul judges a man guilty of fornication with his father’s wife. He condemns his actions & calls on the church to do the same.

 Matt. 7:6 we are called on to call some people dogs & swine & unworthy of the precious treasures of God & His word.

 1 John 4:1 says,--Beloved believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world. We as believers are commanded to judge religions & statements of preachers & teachers to see if they measure up with the Word of God & the teachings of the Gospel.

· Matt. 7:15-20 tells us we are obligated to examine the fruit of those around us & base our fellowship with them according to what we see in their life.

 In Matt.18:15-18 we are told to exercise discipline on a wayward member & this will require the judging of their fruits according to the Word of God. If the person doesn’t respond we then relate to them as heathens or publicans. Of course we keep on loving them because isn’t that what we do to the heathen? We send missionaries to them to try to reach them for God.

 In Acts 13:42-46 Paul & Barnabas spoke to the Jews & told them-- You judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life.

SO WHAT IS JESUS TALKING ABOUT WHEN HE SAYS –JUDGE NOT?

Actually, Jesus never said, Judge not-period. He is actually forbidding a hypocrite engaging in fault-finding as a ploy to cover his own sin. Jesus is condemning an attitude that is critical of others & proposes to look at them & see what their motivations are. Jesus is telling us that we aren’t equipped to do this because only God can see the heart. The critic forgets that he himself must face judgment someday. Rom. 14: 12/ 2 Cor. 5:10. This is a scary thought is it not? In the same way we watch over someone & judge them there’s someone who’s watching our lives. Gal.6:7.

FAULT- FINDERS ARE NEVER GOOD FACT-FINDERS.

This is the reason doctors never treat their own selves or families. They have a problem being objective about themselves or those close to them. Human nature seems to feel “My dirt is clean, yours isn’t.” There are several reasons why we shouldn’t judge others.

1. DON’T JUDGE, BUT IF YOU DO JUDGE,-- KNOW ALL THE FACTS.

Jesus said in John 7:24,--Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

A man who owned a large business was walking through one of his factories one day & saw a young man leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets. The owner got so mad he walked up to him & asked how much money he made. The young man answered that he made $300.00 a week. The owner took out that amount of money, handed it to the young man & told him he was fired. As the young man quickly left the building the boss walked up to one of the other workers & asked how long this young man had been working there. The worker told him that the young man didn’t work there he was just delivering a package.

 How wrong can you be till you know?

I think the reality T.V shows are so popular because they give us the feeling we can know what it’s like to be other people. But can we truly know what it’s like to be someone else?

CAN WE KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE BORN HOOKED ON CRACK?

CAN WE KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE BORN A GOTTI?

CAN WE KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE BORN THE DAUGHTER OF ELVIS PRESLEY?

CAN WE KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE BORN THE SON OF A BILLIONAIRE?

CAN WE KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE PARALYZED FROM THE NECK DOWN?

 Some time back actor Tom Cruise while being interviewed on T.V, took a stab at people on antidepressants. Not long afterwards actress Brooke Shields gave Mr. Cruise what I considered to be the perfect squelch. She’d had her own bouts with depression & I guess wasn’t prepared to let his statement slide. She said, “I’m going to guess that Mr. Cruise has never suffered from postpartum depression.”

Judgments are an important piece of work that we must all engage in especially in a world run amuck in moral relativism & rationalizations. But we must keep in mind that we can never be totally right in our judging & many times we will be dead wrong.

2. DON’T JUDGE, BUT IF YOU DO JUDGE-- DON’T BE BLIND TO YOUR OWN FAULTS.

In verse 4 Jesus uses oriental wit by saying,--Or how wilt thou say to thy brother let me pull the mote out of thine eye; & behold there’s a beam in thine own eye?

Isn’t it true that we usually criticize our own weaknesses we see in other people? If we didn’t have the weakness we wouldn’t be so quick to spot it. I learned in the 4th grade, “it takes one to know one.” In other words, we many times are unconsciously judging ourselves when we judge others. We all have “beams” so to speak, in our eyes which means we’ll all experience distorted perspectives. This in a way makes us blind & you know what happens when the blind try to lead the blind; they both fall in the ditch. You have no doubt observed that very often the most outwardly critical people have the most flaws in their own life. They are so mesmerized by the little specks in others peoples lives their own problems go unrecognized.

 I heard about a man who was looking in the window of a taxidermy shop at an Owl perched on a fake limb. The man went on & on about the Owl telling people that the man had stuffed him wrong, the beak wasn’t right & the colors of the feathers on his tail were done all wrong. He continued to criticize what the taxidermist had done & as he turned to walk away the Owl winked at him.

 I heard another story about a man who was looking at some paintings in a museum & criticizing them. He told his wife that the so-called works of art were junk. As he continued to criticize, he walked up to one painting & really began to point out the flaws. The colors were wrong, the face of the man in the painting didn’t have the proper shape & on he went. Finally his wife said, “Honey, stop it, that’s not a painting, it’s a mirror.”

We tend to judge ourselves lightly because we judge ourselves on the basis of our hearts & our intentions. When it comes to others, we can’t know their hearts & innermost motivations so we judge merely by what we see them do. The end result is that we’re biased in our judgments.

. You lose your temper----I have righteous indignation
· You are a jerk-------------I’m having a bad day
· You have a critical spirit------I’m just blunt
· You gossip------- I make prayer requests
· You curse---------I let off steam
· You are pushy-----I’m goal oriented
· You are greedy-----I’m taking care of business
· You’re a hypochondriac—I’m really sick
· You stink-----I just smell earthy

3. DON’T JUDGE, BUT IF YOU DO JUDGE, --REMEMBER YOU’LL BE JUDGED BY THE SAME STANDARD THAT YOU JUDGE.

Jesus is giving us a stern warning here in Matthew 7:1— “JUDGE NOT.”
 Verse 2 says,-- For with what judgment ye shall judge, ye shall be judged…..

 In Romans 2:1-5 Paul gives us some very valuable information about judging.

Therefore thou art inexcusable O man, whosoever thou art that judgest; for wherin thou judgest another, thou condemest thyself; for thou that judgest doeth the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinketh thou this O man thou that judgest them that doest such things and doest the same that thou should escape the judgment of God vr.5—But after thy hardness & impenitent heart treasureth up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath & revelation of the righteous judgment of God.

A. PAUL TELLS US THAT BY JUDGING WE CAUSE GOD TO BE HARDER ON US. V.1.

B. WE DO MANY OF THE THINGS WE CONDEMN IN OTHERS.v.1

C. GOD CAN ALWAYS BE COUNTED ON TO BE FAIR & RIGHTEOUS, WE CANNOT. V.5.


4. DON’T JUDGE, BUT WHEN YOU DO JUDGE, SHOW MERCY & LOVE.

When I look at your life & see your faults, I’m blind to the problems that dwell in my own heart. If my heart was as pure & holy as I would like to believe it is, I wouldn’t be focused on criticizing & condemning you for your failures. I would instead love you, pray for you & try to help you. I wouldn’t be in the business of tearing you down but I’d be seeking how I might build you up & restore you.

WHY DO PEOPLE TEND TO CRITICIZE & JUDGE OTHERS?

1. Criticism boosts our own self-image. Pointing out someone else’s failure & tearing him down makes us seem a little better, at least in our own eyes. It adds to our sense of pride, ego & self-image.

2. Criticism is often enjoyed. There’s a tendency in fallen human nature to take pleasure in hearing bad news & revel in the shortcomings of others.

3. Criticism makes us feel that our own lives are better than the person who failed. In other words, criticism builds our pride up.

4. Criticism helps us justify the decisions we’ve made & the things we have done in our lives. We rationalize our decisions & acts by pointing out the failure of others.

5. Criticism points out to our friends & relatives how strong we are. Criticism gives us good feelings because our rigid beliefs & strong lives are proven again by our brother’s failure.

6. Criticism is an outlet for hurt & revenge. We feel “they” deserve it. Subconsciously, if not consciously, we think, “they hurt me so they deserve to hurt too.” So we criticize the person who failed. Make no mistake; criticism is generally aimed at making us feel better about ourselves.


 Jack Parr used to tell the story of a woman he knew as a child during the depression. To keep her family from starving she followed the oldest profession in the world. She was loved by all the neighborhood kids because she always gave them candy & took an interest in them. After the depression this lady got “religion” & by then Parr was a teenager. This woman’s change was both amazing & disturbing. She now became very judgmental, suspicious & haughty. Before conversion she’d been kind & loving now she became as mean as a snake. Parr said, “She always nosed around in our business & it was clear she suspected the worst of us, particularly what we did on our dates.” So Parr concluded, “Every time I meet someone who is judgmental & suspicious of other people, I wonder what they were doing during the depression.”

Sadly, if you were to ask people on the street what they think of when you say the word “Christian,” many would say, “Judgmental, suspicious, arrogant & haughty.”

I find it very disturbing that Paul had to deal with this very issue so early in the life of the church. Romans the 14th chapter starts off with those who were quarreling over opinions. They weren’t differing with weighty issues of the faith but over “opinions.” Things like what to eat, & how to celebrate holy days etc. Paul told them, in essence, “Who died & made you the judge of others?” I say potato, you say potato.’ I say tomato, you say tomato.’ It shouldn’t matter whether we open our Christmas presents on Christmas Eve or on Christmas morning. What’s the difference? My experience tells me that most of the problems Christians get bent out of shape over are petty things & “non-essentials.” Paul gives a clear Word—don’t do it!
If differences develop over ideas about true Christian issues then we should contend for the faith & stand against the things that could lead to our spiritual destruction. Certainly we should have convictions & be able & willing to defend them. We shouldn’t have an “anything goes” attitude but we should as someone has said, have this attitude; “In essentials unity, in non-essentials, liberty, in all things, charity.” Some people condemn all those who don’t row their spiritual boat like they do. They talk out of both sides of their mouth by on the one hand declaring Jesus Christ Lord of all & with the other hand condemning half the Christian world to hell.

 I heard the story of a Bishop who was sailing for Europe on one of the great ocean liners. He found he had another man sharing a room with him & judging from his appearance decided he’d better take his valuables & lock them up in the ships safe. When he took them to the purser’s desk he told him he was doing it because of the way the other man looked. The purser accepted the valuables & told the Bishop, “I’ll be glad to take care of them sir, & don’t be embarrassed, your roommate just left here & left his valuables for the same reason.”

Through the years many people have been critical of the late Tammy Baker for being so “on the edge” emotionally & for using so much make-up. I remember reading in her book years ago about something that happened in her childhood. Her father abandoned his family & later divorced her mother. Her mother played the organ in the little church they attended. When the divorce was final, the pastor of the church fired Tammy’s mother & asked her & Tammy to sit on the back seat for awhile to show penitence for the divorce. Tammy was so traumatized by it all that she grew up riddled by guilt & shame as if the whole thing was her fault & of course it wasn’t. It was a miracle that Tammy Faye kept her faith & still had a heart for God after all that had happened in her childhood. What those experiences had to do with too much make-up or a silly little laugh I don’t know but one thing I do know, I have no right to criticize her until I’ve walked in her shoes.

Here are a few helpful hints about making judgments.

1. Give people the benefit of the doubt. After all, isn’t that what we’d want for ourselves?
2. Give people little “escape loopholes” to explain occasional strange or even bad behavior. Don’t put the worst construction on things you see & hear.
3. Be gentle with people. It won’t hurt a thing.
4. Be fair & gracious with people. Allow them to save face. Doesn’t Christian love demand this?
5. Look at a person’s “track record.” Do you have any real reason to assume the worst? If a loving rebuke is needed there’ll be plenty of time for that.
6. If people mess-up, why not give them a second chance? Go the second mile.
7. Don’t be too quick to jump to conclusions & impute evil to people’s motivations.
8. Remember that often the “gift of discernment” is only the “gift of suspicion.”
9. Remember harshness with people is a dead give-away to our own spiritual immaturity.
10. Don’t let your judgments be too “all-inclusive.” There’s hidden good in people & thankfully, God waits until the end of our lives to judge us. Heb.9:27

In closing, judgments are opinions that should be arrived at only after we have;

 Gotten all the facts,

 Consulted the moral teachings of the Word of God,

 And sought spirit-led discernment.

IF WE HAVE BEEN GUILTY OF PASSING JUDGMENT ON OTHERS BECAUSE THEY DON’T LOOK OR ACT LIKE US, WE NEED TO PRAY & ASK GOD TO HELP US GET THE “LOG” OUT OF OUR EYE.

-IF WE'VE BEEN UNJUSTLY JUDGED BY OTHERS, WE NEED TO MAKE CERTAIN WE'VE FORGIVEN THEM, ALWAYS REMEMBERING;

FOR BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED, THROUGH FAITH, AND THIS IS NOT YOUR OWN DOING; IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD.-Eph.2:8---


JUDGE NOT THAT YE BE NOT JUDGED!—MATT.7:1


Blessings,


John